Website to Meetings – Is It Working?

Does Your Website Generate Meetings?

Is There Something on Your Home Page To Draw Me In?

And once in, will I move to paying status quickly, with a clear path to higher margin services?

I’ve been writing this month about value propositions and attracting new leads. Most of the reseller and MSP sites I visit don’t actually advertise anything. There’s no conversion process in place.

However, some offer a FREE ASSESSMENT or sign-up for their e-newsletter. Does that work?

In an post (earlier this month) I showed how these types of initial offerings, offer little value. Few qualified buyers want another electronic newsletter, especially prior to building a relationship with you.

At first contact, there are a number of hurdles to clear before you start offering assessments and newsletters. (note: I like hard-copy newsletters once the relationship is established, even if they are not yet buyers).

But, for a moment, let’s pretend they do…(want your newsletter or assessment the moment they hit your homepage – an unlikely scenario).

What Happens When Someone Signs Up?

Pretend for a moment that someone would actually subscribe to your newsletter without knowing you (The other question is, would they actually read it?)…

So they visit your website through an organic search. They are looking for a new MSP provider; their current one just isn’t cutting it. Do you know they’ve been to your website?Is there anything there to capture this potential buyer’s name?

At this point they fill out your newsletter request form (but this probably doesn’t happen in real life). Are you notified now? Do you then make a call? Are they ready to buy your high-ticket item (full blown managed services)?

Maybe. And if your team is on the ball you’ll might land a competitive quote (where price is the primary determining factor. But I’m getting ahead here…).

So last week I tested this (you know, the newsletter sign up). My company name is SVLC. Someone who doesn’t know me would still see my name as a lead. During my research, I hit several MSP sites and subscribed to their newsletters just to see what would happen. This is called FUNNEL HACKING.

Funnel hacking in simply looking to see what happens when you click on someone’s lead magnet. You could go pretty deep here. If they actually have some automation in the form such as up-sells and email response, you would try different options to see where they take you…and what emails you receive back.

Nothing…I didn’t get a single call or email. In fact, I didn’t even get an existing copy of their newsletter (email or hardcopy). The funnels were one step – Sign Up. Perhaps their newsletter will come out next month, but I’m not holding my breath.

Any web-surfer was only interested in that moment. A month later they’ve forgotten you.

I have no idea where my name went????? Will I ever get a call?

Great Lead Generation Takes The Prospect Through, Overcoming a Series of Hurdles

When I say hurdles, I don’t mean you’re setting up hurdles. I mean you are clearing the sales hurdles that already exist. Competition, objections, etc.

You don’t need to create more. There are plenty of roadblocks before you ever begin. Enter Nurturing Campaigns.

Cold traffic must be warmed before it can be qualified. I was talking to a guy just yesterday on a coaching call. He’s making tons of calls, having some good conversations (but mostly with IT directors). As I listened, it became obvious that, despite lots of calls, he’s only getting through to a few (that’s the be expected); however, he has very few meetings. Completely predictable.

He also has at least one lead magnet, but no real funnel to speak of. If someone happens to download his white paper (poor choice for a lead magnet in this market), he gets their name and makes a call. Rarely does it lead to a meeting.

Nurture and Ascension – The Key To Warming Traffic and Clearing Hurdles

So what should follow your lead magnet (I recommend this not be your email newsletter sign-up form – see Getting More Leads for some better options)?

I like webinars here. But something has to happen to begin the education process. When someone downloads an ebook, the chances of them actually reading it is low. Yet they downloaded it, probably to scratch an itch of some kind. They’re trying to do something…

Sometimes a series of short emails that point the reader back to specific sections in the ebook can help. For instance, “I know you’re busy, but be sure to check out the One Big Mistake Every Business Is Making as They Move to The Cloud…it’s on page 4). Another strategy is the webinar…offering them an immediate way to get the information they need, without actually reading.

Here’s the funny thing. People will download your ebook faster than they’ll sign up for your webinar (speaking of cold traffic); however, they’ll sign up for the webinar if you offer it to them right after downloading the book. Strange, isn’t it?

And now that Everwebinar technology exists, there’s no reason to NOT do them. You can be running a webinar twice a week without ever touching it! But DON’T create one just yet.

Once you have your high-conversion message in hand, start presenting live (by webinar) until you have perfected your pitch. The day you hit it out of the park is the day you can take your session recording over to your new Everwebinar application.

Amateurs Focus On The Front End

The front end is your low value offer…I see too many MSP providers trying to sell the big ticket item on day one. The other sin is an unwillingness to invest in the lead magnet (i.e. not willing to send hard copy or pay for an eBook that really works.)

So sales people are left to make tons of cold calls (as though it doesn’t cost the company money) to save a few marketing dollars: foolish thinking. The e-newsletter sign up and the free assessment (on your website) are really no better…

The focus should be on backend high-ticket items, with an understanding that lead generation requires investment. The cost per client acquisition is a number you determine by looking at marketing dollars spent in comparison to closed business (over a quarter for instance).

When I sell my book for $1, it costs me at least $10 – probably more when you consider the investments in funnel and webinar software products, shipping, and printing of the book. Too many people set stringent limits on their marketing budget, rather than looking at Marketing ROI.

If it’s costing me $10/book, but the entire marketing funnel is break even, at least I’m getting names for free. This is a whole lot better than buying a list…and the names are arguably better.

And if I know where to get traffic, my list may be growing exponentially over the quarter. Next, it’s time to look at ways to ascend that new prospect up the value ladder.

Stop focusing on every front end dollar. Instead, create a path from low cost/low value, to high profit/high value, with the steps necessary to clear the hurdles along the way (price objections, etc.).